Paper I · 8 Geography & Demography of Telangana · 8.1 Location, physiography and climate
8.1.1 Location, boundaries, area and the 33 districts: how the map changed from 10 to 33
Telangana is a landlocked state on the Deccan plateau, about 1,12,077 sq km in area (11th in India), bordered by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh; it began on 2 June 2014 with 10 districts, went to 31 on 11 October 2016 and to 33 on 17 February 2019.
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Core facts
- Formed: 2 June 2014, the 29th state of India, under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. It is the youngest state.
- Capital: Hyderabad. Official language: Telugu; Urdu is the second official language.
- Location: southern India, on the Deccan plateau; northern and eastern hemispheres.
- Extent: about 15°50′ N to 19°55′ N latitude and 77°14′ E to 81°19′ E longitude (state reference books).
- Area: 1,12,077 sq km (state portal), about 3.4% of India. 11th largest state.
- Population (Census 2011): about 3.50 crore, 12th among states.
- Borders: Maharashtra (north and north-west), Chhattisgarh (north-east), Karnataka (west), Andhra Pradesh (east and south). Four neighbours; no coastline.
- Districts: 10 in June 2014 → 31 on 11 October 2016 (21 new) → 33 on 17 February 2019 (Mulugu and Narayanpet).
- Largest district by area: Bhadradri Kothagudem or Nalgonda (sources differ; see Explained). Smallest: Hyderabad (about 217 sq km).
- Administrative units (state portal, accessed October 2026): 33 districts, 74 revenue divisions, 612 revenue mandals. Mandal counts differ by source and date (see Explained 8).
Explained
1. Where Telangana lies
- Telangana sits in the interior of the Deccan plateau, between the Godavari in the north and the Krishna in the south.
- It is landlocked. The nearest sea, the Bay of Bengal, lies beyond Andhra Pradesh to the east.
- Its outline is often described as a rough triangle with the narrow end to the south-west.
- The Tropic of Cancer (23½° N) does not pass through it; the whole state lies in the tropical belt south of it.
2. Area and the 2014 transfer of mandals
- Census 2011 counted the ten Telangana districts at about 1,14,840 sq km.
- To build the Polavaram project on the Godavari, the Centre first issued an ordinance on 29 May 2014. Parliament then passed the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation (Amendment) Act, 2014 (Lok Sabha 11 July, Rajya Sabha 14 July, assent 17 July 2014), deemed in force from 29 May 2014.
- It moved seven mandals of the then Khammam district to Andhra Pradesh:
| Mandal | Transfer |
|---|---|
| Kunavaram, Chintoor, Vararamachandrapuram, Velairpadu, Kukunoor | Whole mandal |
| Bhadrachalam | All except Bhadrachalam town (revenue village) |
| Burgampadu | Part (some villages) |
- Neighbouring mandals such as Charla, Dummugudem and Aswaraopet stayed in Telangana (today in Bhadradri Kothagudem district).
- Books report 327 revenue villages and 87 gram panchayats went to Andhra Pradesh, and the state's area fell to 1,12,077 sq km.
- State reference books say these Sabari-side mandals gave the old Khammam district a short border with Odisha (Malkangiri). Whatever the earlier line, Telangana today borders no part of Odisha: the state portal lists only Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
3. The four neighbours and the border districts
| Neighbour | Direction | Border districts (count) |
|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra | North, north-west | Adilabad, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Kamareddy, Jayashankar Bhupalpally (7) |
| Chhattisgarh | North-east | Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem (3) |
| Karnataka | West | Kamareddy, Sangareddy, Vikarabad, Narayanpet, Jogulamba Gadwal (5) |
| Andhra Pradesh | East, south | Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Suryapet, Nalgonda, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Jogulamba Gadwal (7) |
- Lists as in recent (2026-27) books; some books also count Mahabubnagar against Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Counted once each, 18 districts touch another state and 15 are interior (Hyderabad, Medchal–Malkajgiri, Rangareddy, Karimnagar and others).
- Chhattisgarh has the fewest border districts (3).
- Districts touching two states: Kamareddy (Maharashtra, Karnataka), Jogulamba Gadwal (Karnataka, AP), Bhadradri Kothagudem (Chhattisgarh, AP), Jayashankar Bhupalpally (Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh).
- Extreme districts: north Adilabad; south Jogulamba Gadwal (Alampur area); east Bhadradri Kothagudem. The western edge is shared by several districts along the Karnataka border.
4. Largest and smallest districts
- The two largest districts are Bhadradri Kothagudem and Nalgonda, each a little over 7,000 sq km. Sources rank them differently:
- 2016 district figures (used by most lists): Bhadradri Kothagudem 7,483 sq km, Nalgonda 7,122 sq km.
- Figures quoted in some 2026-27 books: Nalgonda 7,222.78, Bhadradri Kothagudem 7,015.69 sq km.
- Nagarkurnool and Rangareddy come next.
- Smallest: Hyderabad (about 217 sq km), then Medchal–Malkajgiri (about 1,060–1,084 sq km).
- Average district size fell from about 11,208 sq km (10 districts) to about 3,400 sq km (33 districts).
5. How the district map evolved
| Period | Districts | Key change |
|---|---|---|
| Hyderabad State (to 1956) | 16 (8 in Telangana) | Telangana: Hyderabad (Atraf-i-Balda), Medak, Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar, Nalgonda, Warangal, Karimnagar, Adilabad |
| 1 October 1953 | 9 in Telangana | Khammam carved out of Warangal |
| 15 August 1978 | 10 in Telangana | Hyderabad split; Hyderabad Rural (later Ranga Reddy) formed |
| 2 June 2014 | 10 | Telangana state formed |
| 11 October 2016 | 31 | 21 new districts (Vijayadashami) |
| 17 February 2019 | 33 | Mulugu and Narayanpet |
| 12 August 2021 | 33 | Warangal Urban and Warangal Rural reorganised (some mandals moved) and renamed Hanumakonda and Warangal |
- In 1956 the 8 Telangana districts joined Andhra State to form Andhra Pradesh; the Marathi districts went to Bombay State and the Kannada districts to Mysore State.
6. The 2016 reorganisation (10 → 31)
- Legal basis: section 3 of the Telangana Districts (Formation) Act, 1974 (the old Andhra Pradesh Act, adapted for Telangana). Each district was formed by its own G.O. Ms. (Revenue, DA-CMRF) dated 11 October 2016 in the Telangana Gazette (for example No. 231 Warangal Urban, No. 223 Nirmal, No. 244 Jogulamba Gadwal).
- Steps (2016):
- A committee of officials under the Chief Secretary studied districts, revenue divisions and mandals.
- A Cabinet sub-committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister (Revenue) Mohammed Mahmood Ali reported; the draft notification of 22 August 2016 proposed 17 new districts (27 in all).
- After objections and local demands, a high-power committee headed by K. Keshava Rao (Rajya Sabha MP; Mahmood Ali was a member) was set up in early October 2016 to examine demands for four more districts: Sircilla, Jangaon, Gadwal and Asifabad.
- All four were added: the final G.O.s of 11 October 2016 formed 21 new districts (Rajanna Sircilla, Jangaon, Jogulamba Gadwal, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad among them).
- How the ten old districts were split in 2016 (main parent; some mandals moved across lines):
| Old district | Districts after 11 October 2016 | New |
|---|---|---|
| Adilabad | Adilabad, Nirmal, Mancherial, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad | 3 |
| Karimnagar | Karimnagar, Jagtial, Peddapalli, Rajanna Sircilla | 3 |
| Warangal | Warangal Urban, Warangal Rural, Jangaon, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mahabubabad | 4 |
| Mahabubnagar | Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Jogulamba Gadwal | 3 |
| Medak | Medak, Sangareddy, Siddipet | 2 |
| Rangareddy | Rangareddy, Vikarabad, Medchal–Malkajgiri | 2 |
| Nalgonda | Nalgonda, Suryapet, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri | 2 |
| Nizamabad | Nizamabad, Kamareddy | 1 |
| Khammam | Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem | 1 |
| Hyderabad | Hyderabad (unchanged) | 0 |
- Reported at the same time: about 25 new revenue divisions and 125 new mandals, and new police commissionerates.
- Warangal was split into the most pieces (five districts). Mahabubnagar was split into four in 2016 and lost Narayanpet in 2019.
7. The 2019 districts (31 → 33)
- Draft notification 31 December 2018; final G.O.s dated 16 February 2019 (G.O. Ms. No. 18 for Mulugu; No. 19 for Narayanpet); the districts began work on 17 February 2019.
- Mulugu came out of Jayashankar Bhupalpally; Narayanpet mainly out of Mahabubnagar.
8. Units below the district (dated)
- State portal: 74 revenue divisions, 612 revenue mandals, 12,769 gram panchayats, 10,434 revenue villages (Census 2011).
- 13 new revenue mandals in eight districts were finally notified on 26 September 2022 (under section 3 of the 1974 Act); press reports then put the total at about 620. More mandals have been notified since. The Directorate of Economics and Statistics counted 621 mandals in its 2025-26 rainfall data (Socio-Economic Outlook 2026), while the state portal still shows 612. Use the latest official figure in an answer and name its source and date.
- Hyderabad has no Zilla Parishad (it is wholly urban); there are 32 Zilla Parishads.
Common traps
- ✗ "Telangana's area is 1,14,840 sq km." ✓ That is the Census 2011 figure for the ten districts; after the 2014 Polavaram transfer it is 1,12,077 sq km.
- ✗ "Telangana borders Odisha." ✓ It borders four states: Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh.
- ✗ "Telangana is the 12th largest state by area." ✓ 11th by area; 12th by population (Census 2011).
- ✗ "Mulugu and Narayanpet were among the 21 districts of 2016." ✓ They came on 17 February 2019, taking the total to 33.
- ✗ "21 districts were formed in 2016, making 33." ✓ 10 + 21 = 31 in 2016; 33 only in 2019.
- ✗ "Karnataka lies to the east of Telangana." ✓ Karnataka is to the west; Andhra Pradesh to the east and south.
- ✗ "Hanumakonda was created as a new district in 2016." ✓ In 2016 it was Warangal Urban; it was renamed Hanumakonda in August 2021.
- ✗ "Khammam was formed after 1956." ✓ Khammam was carved out of Warangal on 1 October 1953, in Hyderabad State.
- ✗ "Hyderabad is the largest district because it is the capital." ✓ Hyderabad is the smallest district by area (about 217 sq km).
Quick revision
- 29th state, 2 June 2014; capital Hyderabad; landlocked, Deccan plateau.
- About 15°50′–19°55′ N, 77°14′–81°19′ E.
- Area 1,12,077 sq km (3.4% of India), 11th; population 12th (2011).
- Neighbours: Maharashtra (N, NW), Chhattisgarh (NE), Karnataka (W), AP (E, S).
- Seven Khammam mandals to AP for Polavaram: Amendment Act 2014 (assent 17 July 2014).
- Khammam district 1 Oct 1953; Ranga Reddy 15 Aug 1978.
- 10 → 31 on 11 Oct 2016 (Districts (Formation) Act 1974, s.3) → 33 on 17 Feb 2019 (Mulugu, Narayanpet).
- Warangal Urban → Hanumakonda, Warangal Rural → Warangal (12 Aug 2021).
- 2016 committees: Chief Secretary's officials → Mahmood Ali Cabinet sub-committee (draft of 17, 22 Aug 2016) → K. Keshava Rao committee (4 more).
- Smallest district Hyderabad; largest Bhadradri Kothagudem / Nalgonda.
Go deeper: Deeper, Mains writing (beyond what TGPSC MPSO / ASO usually asks)
Deeper Advanced
- Why so many districts? The stated aims were closer administration and faster delivery of welfare. Before 2016 Telangana's average district was among the largest in India (about 35 lakh people). After 2019 the average fell to roughly 10–11 lakh people.
- Trade-offs. Smaller districts brought officials closer to people. They also meant new offices, staff and district-wise statistics. District data before and after 2016 cannot be compared without re-grouping. Census 2011 figures for the new districts are recalculated by mandal.
- Statement-level points.
- 1,12,077 sq km is after the 2014 transfer; 1,14,840 sq km is the Census 2011 figure for the ten districts before it.
- Telangana borders four states, not five. Odisha is not a neighbour now. Madhya Pradesh never was.
- The 2016 districts came under the Districts (Formation) Act, 1974, by one G.O. per district on 11 October 2016.
- Mulugu and Narayanpet: G.O.s dated 16 February, in force 17 February 2019.
- Hanumakonda and Warangal are the names from August 2021; "Warangal Urban/Rural" are the 2016–2021 names.
- Khammam dates from 1953, before Andhra Pradesh was formed; Ranga Reddy dates from 1978.
- Highest and lowest district areas. Because two official sets of area figures exist, a question that asks "largest district" is safest answered as Bhadradri Kothagudem (the 2016 gazette-era figure most lists use), with Nalgonda a close second. Hyderabad is the smallest in every source.
Mains writing Mains writing
- Frame: Telangana's map has been redrawn twice in its first five years. Smaller districts were meant to bring government closer to people in a state whose old districts were among India's largest.
- Arguments for: faster grievance redress; shorter travel to the district headquarters; focused attention on tribal and backward areas (Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, Mulugu, Bhadradri Kothagudem); better scheme monitoring.
- Arguments against or cautions: cost of new offices and staff; thin district-level capacity at first; break in data series; boundaries drawn partly by local demand.
- Data points: 10 → 31 (11 October 2016) → 33 (17 February 2019); area 1,12,077 sq km; 74 revenue divisions (state portal); 621 mandals in DES 2025-26 data.
- Model opening line: "Telangana's 33 districts are the outcome of one of India's largest single-day administrative reorganisations: 21 new districts on 11 October 2016."
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